My take is this: What would make a multi national car producer take this enormous risk? Could it be the standards were just unrealistic and outrages to the point that risking many millions and having hell rain down on you was worth it to remain competitive in the market? I for one would like to have one of these cars. To get these cars to be in compliance you have to strangle their motors.
That’s great question. Wondered it myself, and I have good reason to: I own a VW TDI.
I have thought more than once a gang of pencil-neck regulation writers for the EPA would meet at a Starbucks and come up with nearly unattainable emission standards just to put the screws to anything diesel-powered simply because none in that group really knows anything about the real world, and they all to a geek don’t know how to spell “diesel.”
You nailed it. The idea was that nothing would pass. When VW came up with something that appeared to, they trapped themselves. Think coal plant emission regs for US power plants. VW walked into it.
I haven’t read any reports of what you they run like after the emissions tune but several of the aftermarket guys can make it -really- run good with a performance tune. I’m a big fan of Malone tunes.